When containers holding liquids with a high proportion of solids content are emptied, a difficulty which arises is that sedimentated solids are left behind after emptying is completed. These sedimentated solids can only be removed with considerable effort. However, and particularly in the case of containers which hold radioactive liquids, it is necessary to move the deposits to the outlet opening to reliably avoid an accumulation of solids on the bottom of the container.
In nuclear reprocessing facilities, it is intended to install circular horizontal containers that lie horizontally and have bottoms which are either set at a slight inclination towards the discharge pipe or which are capable of being inclined during the emptying process. It has been proposed that flushing means be disposed close to the bottom or close to the inside walls of the containers by which deposits of solids can be flushed out and conveyed to an outlet pipe by a secondary liquid, for example, water. It is unsatisfactory in this respect to require large quantities of flushing water for large containers. These large quantities of flushing water which are needed after a container has been emptied do, in the case of radioactive product solutions, lead to an undesired increase in secondary waste, the disposal of which is very cost intensive.
Another disadvantage is that the useful materials in the radioactive product solution are highly diluted by the flushing liquid and this adversely affects the economic processing of the product solution.